Winners & Losers: May 20, 2013

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - Here's a look at the Winners and Losers for this week!

Star Trek: Into Darkness is a winner. It has taken in $84 million in four days and has dethroned Iron Man as the summer box office leader. The buzz around the movie has been very positive, so Star Trek could rule for several weeks.

Another movie winner is the Little Rock Film Festival. They doubled their attendance from last year. The move to keep it all downtown and lowering the cover charge all worked. Estimates were 50,000 people.

Also showing an uptick in attendance is Atkins and its wonderful Picklefest, which is a winner. For a city that lost its pickle plant 11 years ago, Atkins can still throw a pickle party packed with tickled people. Picklefest is obviously an event Pope County relishes.

Jay Carney probably wishes he could've been in Atkins last week. The White House spokesman gets the loser tag because he has had to explain White House response to three major scandals.

Neighbors of the apartment complex that caught fire last week are winners. There were people like Christopher Landley, chef at Salut Bistro, who went beating on doors and windows to get people awake and out. Because of them, there were no serious injuries.

Another winning restaurant is Host International Restaurants at the Clinton National Airport. All those restaurants, when totaled up, brought in more revenue than any other Central Arkansas restaurant at over $4 million. Cheddar's, off University Avenue, was a close second.

I know Memorial Day coming is up, but two men in Florida made it look like Labor Day. Two men who had themselves hooked up to labor simulators are now losers after arguing with their wives that men could handle pain better than women. Wrong! My wife and I don't argue. They're called lectures.